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Edit: There is a Mason Trafford in the MIFK line-up whom i never have heard of. According to wikipedia he is a defender. Lindström will start alongside Juhani Ojala for HJK.
HJK – IFK Mariehamn kick-off 17.30 CET
Farewell match for Medo, and I would not be surprised if he plays only a part of the game. The first match at HJK for striker Teemu Pukki, who is one of the possible future Finnish internationals. He has talent, but now it is time to step up begin the international career again.
MIFK were plain awful last time after having had to make a change to a key defending position just before the game and I can not see them making the same mistake again that they put a slow centerback for a full back position, against HJK who rely on their wingers it would be a foolish thing to do.
MIFK did climb from the bottom in the midsummer but the latest two losses have dropped them again near the relegation zone in this season´s exciting Veikkausliiga, and they will be concentrated on getting a result also from HJK´s home stadium even if it is the most unlikely venue for that.
HJK have played a lot of european matches lately and it always has its pros and cons; it is tiring but it is also a good learning experience and helps in joining the team together. Honka won last night and are still breathing in their neck in case HJK starts to slip up.
Medo leaving the club creates a big hole in the central midfield position, and even if they resultwise have managed without him before there really is no one to fully replace him and sooner or later it will show.
The Besiktas game at home was actually a rather good one, HJK created several good chances with patience and controlled the ball, and this time the counter attacks will be as dangerous as there is no Quaresma or Guti in the IFK outfit but Mikko Paatelainen and Sasha Anttilainen instead. A bit of a difference there, don´t you think?
There are weaknesses in HJK as well. Juhani Ojala perhaps has played well as a new centerback, but his partners Pyry Kärkkäinen and Peter Magnusson are prone to mistakes and their passing is not accurate enough, this is the part where Medo usually comes in to get the ball from the defence. Lindström could return tonight, but he is regarded almost as a new player after been injured since the league cup in February.
The praised wingers Dawda Bah and Sebastian Sorsa have been most of the season only shadows of their best days, and honestly I see it as a bit of surprise that they had as big lead in the league as they did, regarding also the fact that the goalie Ville Wallén is not a 100 % reliable either. Or perhaps he is reliable, but not a big match winner type. Nothing wrong with him but there are better ones as well.
And the strikers.. well Juho Mäkelä might lead the top scoring table, but most of his goals did come in the early rounds and now they would be most needed, the other options Akseli Pelvas and Jarno Parikka have been ok, but not much more.
The keys to their success have been right offensive full-back Rafinha, mf youngster Johannes Westö who has brought a lot of energy into the team, and usually there are a couple of others from the wide material who has a good day and helps to win the matches needed, sometimes it is mf Cheyne Fowler, sometimes someone else but they are not an unbeatable machine even at home, which has been shown in home matches vs. KuPS and Honka recently.
HJK´s Matias Lindström, Mikko Hauhia and Erfan Zeneli were playing with Klubi04 this weekend and should also be fit to play today. MIFK will miss mf Petteri Forsell and a lot of creativity along with that.
There are always some questionmarks in the air when there are players coming and going and returning from a long-term injury and I am not taking a pre-match bet here, but roughly with current information my limits are like this;
| HJK | MIFK | |
| -1.5 | 2,58 | 1,63 |
| -1.25 | 2,21 | 1,83 |
| -1 | 1,93 | 2,08 |
| -0,75 | 1,73 | 2,38 |
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